Kristin was Bejarano's second child, born when she was 17 years old. At the time, she had an abusive mother who told her that she either had to keep her first-born daughter Tiffany or second-born Kristin, according to Eric Gardere, 64, who is Bejarano’s husband. Gardere, who Bajarano met a few months after giving birth to Kristin, is not Kristin’s biological father. But Bejarano and Gardere went on to have three children together.

A DNA test reunited Tina Bejarano (R), a California woman with her child Kristin, who she thought died 30 years ago at birth. (Photo Courtesy: Eric Gardere)

When Kristin was born, Bejarano’s mother falsely told her that the baby was sick and died from a respiratory infection within 15 minutes of birth. Bejarano didn’t even get to see the baby, Gardere said.

Last year, Tiffany convinced Bejarano to have a DNA test done. Then, Bejarano received a text from Kristin.